Then I think I could do this, I agonized while snuggling into my husband one night.

And it’s not even that I minded the hard work, the sacrifice, and the challenge of homeschooling so much. It’s more the thought of doing all this…for nothing…that got to me. What if it didn’t amount to anything? Or, worse, what if I wasn’t doing it right?

Yes, it was the possibility of this turning out to be more of a fantasy than a Real Life story that discouraged and made me want to give up. I was really counting on a happy ending for this one.

I know. Kinda silly. But that’s how my mind works sometimes (especially when I’m overtired). I want to rush ahead and find out where we’re going with all this….

I want to know the end of the story. 

Yet that’s not how it works with homeschooling. You only get to go through one chapter at a time. One child at a time. And on some days? One word at a time.

But take heart, you might not get to peek at the ending, but I’m confident it’s going to be a very good story and certainly one worth writing. And one worth reading someday too.

Hoping to Write a Real Homeschool Story?

1.  Don’t be discouraged by a day. It’s only one day. And such days do not determine the entire tale. Just turn that page and keep going.  As Anne of Green Gables says, “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” Lovely thought. Tomorrow is a fresh piece of paper on which to write something totally new.

2.  It’s a story about a relationship – not a method. Truly. It doesn’t matter what curriculum you use or what subjects you cover. While it might not be how it’s presented out there, that’s the inside scoop. What matters is their hearts. That terrific (or lousy) math curriculum will never have the significant impact on their lives that a loving, learning, teaching parent will. You are what they really need.

3.  Don’t read over someone else’s shoulder. Their story is not your story. That family over there might look accomplished and successful. And that’s great for them.  But you are on your own unique adventure. Look to the Lord what for what He intends for your family. He’s got something in mind specially suited to you.

4.  Review Your Main Theme. Remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18). So if you feel like you’re “perishing”? Go back to the beginning. Why you started this story in the first place. It might be just what you need to tackle that next chapter.

5. The Lord wants to reveal Himself through your story. Above all. We sometimes forget that this isn’t actually all about us. Or even our children. It’s about the Author and what He’s doing in us and through us.

You only have to let Him shine. Yep. Let Him shine through your weaknesses, your set-backs, and even your mistakes. And isn’t it reassuring to realize that this whole thing doesn’t depend on us, but on Him who is more than able?

So I guess we know how this story is going to end after all.

Because we know Him.

And He’s the Real Story. 

Lisa is the happily-ever-after wife of Matt Jacobson, literary agent and author, and together they enjoy raising and home-educating their 8 children. She’s also rather fond of dark chocolate, French press coffee, and deep friendships (though not necessarily in that order).  She encourages women to embrace the rich life of loving relationships and the high calling of being a wife and mother. You can find her sharing her passion for husband, home, and family over at Club31Women and on Facebook.

Good morning, busy mom!

We are now in Ludington, MI.  When we rolled into Indianapolis the day before, it was midnight. And we were crabby! It wasn’t pretty — but this is the “busy season” for our family, and God seems to give us just enough grace for each other every day.  Just enough. Unless we push too hard, or go too long without rest. Then, things can get ugly.

It reminded me a season of life we were in several years ago, where the Lord spoke to me about the importance of keeping my heart in tune to the heartbeat of our marriage.  See if you can relate:

It had been a busy day.

Nevermind.

It had been a busy month. Meetings, schoolwork, deadlines, family needs, doctor appointments–unplanned emergencies–unwanted drama, un-invited stress.

Unintended consequences.

If the world could spin any faster, I’m sure I would have been flung right off.

My Type A, scheduling self was not enjoying this.  I was repeating the phrase “bend, don’t break” as I went from the car to the kitchen to the laundry room.  I spied a bag of clothing that I had forgotten to take to Goodwill.  ”Shoot! That’s the third time I’ve left the house for something and forgotten that bag!”

I muttered to myself  as I walked into the office to sort paperwork. ”Stop the ride! I want to get off!” My husband looked up at me from his desk.  I saw the same weariness in his eyes that I felt. It was as if his eyes were reflecting mine.

Tired. Worn-out. Weary.

It had been several weeks since we had really enjoyed any quality time together. According to the calendar, there were no quiet evenings coming up in our future, either.  Worse yet, we could not even manage a quiet evening in!  The toddlers were up early, the teens were up late… and somewhere between toddlers and teenagers, our marriage was taking a hit.

It was clear that things were ot as they should be, and our relationship was beginning to show signs of the strain we were under.  We were short with each other. Our conversations lacked grace. The end of the day found us falling into bed exhausted. (Insert tired expression here that says “I love you … but not tonight.”)

Trouble was, there was no “white space” in our lives. We had made our regular commitments, and life had filled in the rest of the “white space” on my calendar-without asking permission!

If you’ve heard me speak before, you know how I feel about having at least two days of nothing on my calendar each week.  I call it “white space”, and  I try to protect those free days because no white space on our calendar = no margin in our lives.

And no margin = trouble.

Does this sound familiar? It’s easy to let it happen.  Sometimes, we can prevent it, and sometimes, we can’t. When life gets a little nutty, we take it for granted that eventually things will slow down.  But the older my kids get, the more I’m realizing that if I am not intentional about taking time out of my busy life to nurture my marriage, my husband and I run the risk of living parallel lives.

You see, the fact that we have a good marriage now doesn’t protect us from ending up with a bad marriage down the road.  I know — because I’ve seen it happen, over and over again.

Most marriages end because of neglect. We just take it for granted that our spouse will always be there, that we’ll have time “next week.”  But more dangerous than unintentional neglect is the kind we do on purpose: we say things like “after the kids are grown” we’ll have time to invest in our marriage.

It’s one of the biggest traps we can fall into, this “for granted” trap. We take it for granted that

• Our marriage will always be strong
• Pornography will never be a problem
• Our husbands always “understand” how tired we are (so we don’t have the conversation)
• Adultery will not be part of our lives
• “Next week” things will get easier or slow down

Marriage matters. It’s important.  And we can’t just put this precious relationship on auto-pilot for extended periods of time and expect things to be okay.

But we do.  We forget that our marriages, like tender plants, need tending.

Yes, there are seasons where we need extra amounts of patience and grace.  (I’m in one right now, as we travel in our van from convention to convention with our kids.)

Yes, life is always changing–and we need to flex and change with it.

But let’s not take our marriages for granted. Let’s keep them strong and healthy – on purpose! Here are three ways we can keep your marriage strong through the seasons of quiet and busy that inevitably come:

• Be intentional about carving out time for each other – make time on purpose.
• Keep your finger on the pulse of your marriage (If the pulse is weak, pay attention!)
• Learn to speak each other’s love language.  (My husband responds best to me when I speak love in the language he understands best, and love it when he speaks to me in my love language!)

Marriage is a precious relationship – and we’re in it, for better or worse.

But never, never for granted.

Blessings on your marriage, busy mom!
heidi

Remember that old Johnny Lee  song “Looking For Love?”  It’s from a just-as-old movie called “Urban Cowboy” from what I’ve been told.  :)

I don’t think I’ve heard that song in years but for some reason as I was loading the van to hit the road to Spartanburg this morning, it was playing in my mind. Maybe you’ll recognize the lyrics:

I thought it was funny …

I was looking for love in all the wrong places
Looking for love in too many faces (grumpy, tired faces this morning)
Searching thier eyes looking for traces (any hint, really)
What I’m dreaming of

So here’s what I was dreaming of …

• cooperation
• good attitudes
• the breakfast genie to show up
• a little less pollen
• ____ fill in the blank

I was looking for joy in all the wrong places  Or the  illusion of joy anyway.  :)

And then I remembered–the devil likes to lie about stuff.  He lies about joy.

He’ll tell you money will make you happy. But it won’t.  And it’s not the money, it’s the pursuit of it.  Because joy, true JOY, is not found in power, passion or possessions.  Or even in my kids obeying with a smile on their face.

(But that would have been extra-great this morning.)

It’s found in a personal relationship with God.

Satisfaction is found in the Lord and in His Word.

Joy will never be found under the sun … but above it … where God is. 

Today, busy mom, let’s keep our joy in plain sight. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, and run the race that’s set before us with the joy that comes  from following Jesus.

Remember those trees that are “firmly planted?”  They’re rooted in Christ!

Lean into Him while you do laundry for the millionth time.  Talk to Him about your kids. Ask Him to show you how to love your husband.

He has something to say to you.

Looking for joy? He’ll show you where to find it. And where joy is, strength is.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b

Good morning, busy moms!  Ready for another day?

I shall try to remember that as we spend the next

Today, I’m choosing to remember some things I jotted down in my journal–’cause I’ll probably need to refer to the list at least once today.

Blessed perspective. One of the things I’ve gained in 22 years of parenting is the gift of perspective.

And it hasn’t come easy. I’ve decided I learn most things the hard way.

Skinned knees and all.

I scribbled a list of things I wish I had known when I started homeschooling all those years ago… but it applies to every mom–because every mom is a teacher.

It felt like the same day again. Every day had been painted a dull shade of gray. This was my life, homeschooling.

It entered every conversation. It lingered on the table. It left messes on the floor. It crept into our family vacations. Homeschool was poison ivy, it began to itch and I couldn’t get away from it.

Reading, writing, math, science, history, geography, and art. Repeat. Repeat again.

I turned on autopilot.

Most curriculum taught itself while I daydreamed of beach vacations and owning a kayak. Surely having a kayak would make life more interesting. A crock pot cook book would make life more interesting at this point. So I bought one.

I was fading. I survived each day to get up another morning and do it all over again.

Feel that way sometimes? As if homeschool curriculum is all you ever talk about, homeschool lessons all you plan, homeschool blogs all you read, and homeschool lectures all you give? It is here until my kids go off to college. And by the current threats of my 5yr old … that’s never gonna happen.

One day I was drinking coffee and I read the mug, “This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24. I had to laugh, the psalmist was not a homeschooler.

“This was just Tuesday or was it Thursday? It doesn’t matter. I’m not even going to change out of my pajamas and no one is going to notice! Another day at our dining room table fighting over dried glue sticks and crying over subtraction word problems. This is no day to rejoice. Surely I’m being punished for skipping public school all those times”.
Then the craziest thought train wrecked my pity party, what do you want to do while you have this time?

It didn’t take but a heartbeat to start listing all of the things I had wanted to do. I wanted to learn how to play guitar. I wanted to watch cooking shows. I wanted to speak Spanish. I wanted to learn about art history. I wanted to read Greek Myths. I wanted to expand my vocabulary. I wanted to write greeting card for DaySpring. I wanted to crochet scarves for the homeless shelter. I wanted to grow fresh herbs.

As if someone had thrown ice water in my face I suddenly realized the amazing opportunity I have homeschooling. You and I have the one thing everyone else wants, time! We have time to keep learning and trying new things. 

Homeschooling doesn’t have to be just about what your kids are learning. Homeschooling can be about what I’m learning! We have time to grow our skills and passions. We have time to learn something totally new!

We can keep growing, but its not going to happen on autopilot.

What do you want to learn? What do you want to try? You have the best supportive classmates right beside you at this very moment! Make a bucket list of things you want to learn and discover them together.

Enjoy today, rejoice today – learn something new together today!

Stef considers herself a relaxed homeschooling mom to two energetic superheroes. She believes in hands-on interest-led learning. Married to a busy traveling golf course architect, they have taken their homeschool on the road to enjoy many field trips. Stef is the author of Educating Laytons, Homeschool Community Manager for The Happy Housewife Conference Coordinator for The Titus 2:1 Conference and Creator of The Homeschool Village.

I just have to say that I have some loyal, fun Facebook fans! You have grown my page to 40,000 likes! And I was taught that you thank people when they’re nice to you, so I’m going to do that today.  We ordered these super cute tote bags to sell at our vendor table this convention season, and I want a couple of my Facebook fans to be the first owners!

Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win! One bag in each color will be given away with your choice of The Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Daylight or Romance tucked inside! Enter quickly… it’s only live for 40 hours!

 40,000 40,000 Likes -Thank You

Giveaway ends on April 26, 2013 at 2 AM Eastern Standard Time.

Sunrise in the pacific northwest: Mount Saint Helens in the distance

Well, today’s the day. Today, we pull out of our cozy home here in Washington and hit the road. On tap for today: 10 hours of driving.

Yesterday was rough. Jay and I flew in from speaking at CAPE in Albuquerque on Sunday. I unpacked our suitcases, ran some laundry, and packed them up again.

When preparing to leave home for two months, you’ve got to have your thinking cap on.

Only yesterday, my poor little thinking cap seemed to have been misplaced. I felt overwhelmed. The kind of overwhelmed that keeps you from cleaning your house because you don’t know where to start. I struggled to think clearly. Even my lists were overwhelming!

And then there is the fear that plagues my heart and mind.

What if we are robbed again? What if we break down?  What if someone gets sick or injured? What if …

Here’s the thing: God already knows what’s going on. It does not do me any good to worry. And the most frustrating thing for me is that I know it! 

Busy mom, we serve an awesome God. He gets it.

Today as I sat down to read my Bible, I looked at the calendar and noticed it was April 23. I don’t normally do this but I sensed that God would have me read Psalm 23 — and in the quietness of the dawn,God met me.

Psalm 23

Isn’t God good!? He knows exactly what we need each day. Are you spending time with Him each day, busy mom? He wants to meet with you.  As I read today, God gently reminded me that He’s right.here. He’s always been here. He always will be.

He guides us along RIGHT paths–for His name’s sake. 

He leads us beside quiet waters.

He restores our souls.

Mom, whatever you’re facing today, you can trust Him. Whatever you walk through, He’s walking beside you. He’s got it covered.

He’s good like that.

Ahh the glamorous life of the road.

People often ask us what it’s like to live for months at a time sleeping in Wal Mart parking lots with six or seven children. Honestly, I’ve asked myself some of these questions, so here are my candid answers to the top five- including how to travel with kids!

We do it because it’s part of our job, but truly, driving is the BEST way to see the country. And what an amazing country it is!

What Is It {really} Like?

It’s amazing. But it’s also hard. Nothing that’s worth doing in this life is ever easy.  Since we believe that God would have us stay together as a family, we take most of our speaking engagements with six gorgeous kids in-tow. Traveling with this many kids is not easy, and when you are doing it with eight people in a 27 foot motorhome, prepare for adventure.

But we’ve learned a lot of things in the past five years of doing this.

See that man? He’s my awesome husband. He has just finished lettering our new cargo trailer. I tell ya, there’s nothing this man can’t do.

And it’s a good thing–because in the line of work God has called us to, we’ve got to be ready for just about anything. This spring will mark our third trip traveling across the United States as a family. 10 people. One vehicle. Lots of adventures–and misadventures.

Which brings me to:

What’s the hardest part about traveling cross-country in an RV?

No contest here: breakdowns.  They’re expensive and often scary!  Last time, we had to replace

• the brakes
• the transmission
• the rear axle …

Familiar sight: This is from our first trip in 2009.

But all in all, we’ve seemed to weather it fine so far …

Together with our kids, we make some smokin’ hot road trippers.

And I’m not kidding.

In 2011, near the end of our last 15,700 mile journey, our RV caught on fire.

You heard me. On.Fire.

We were somewhere outside of Cheyenne at about 9:30 that night. I had just tucked the little kids into bed for the night and we planned on driving several more hours.

Our son caught a glimpse of “orange flickering” near the back of the motorhome, just beyond the rear bedroom window.

Jay pulled over and immediately came running to the side door: “Everyone out!  The wheel is on fire! OUT! OUT!”

I ran for the kids in the back while the older ones grabbed blankets and we headed out into the brush on the side of the freeway. In the dark. In the cold. We stood barefoot in the dry Wyoming grass while Jay tried desperately to put out the fire. A semi-truck driver pulled over and used his fire extinguisher after ours was empty. But the fire would not go out.

Just about the time we were about to watch the entire thing go up in flames, Jay had the brilliant idea to cut the grey water line and all the sink water began to empty onto the fire. As the fire trucks and ambulance, police and fire marshall were arriving, we saw the flames die down.

This.Was.Not.Fun. We shut down the freeway in both directions for at least an hour. The Fire Marshall said it was a miracle that the RV didn’t explode, since the fire, which was sparked from a rear bearing, began just above the FUEL LINE.

Yeah. I believe in angels.

That was our last road trip. This time, we’re driving in a 15 passenger van, since my PTSD has not let lifted from our last trip. -Keep Calm and Carry On-, she says. In the van we shall go.

I could tell many more stories, but I’ll save those for another blog entry. Back to the questions.

Heading to a hotel while our RV was getting a new transmission. This was T-2 … 2011. Transmission broke down just after taping a radio interview with Dr. James Dobson. (Yeah, that was embarrassing.)

How Do You Do It?

Good question. Organization is the key.

And games for the kids. And stops along the way.

And patience. And grace. Yeah. That too.

But I’ve discovered that if you can be extra-prepared, the trip will be more successful, and less stressful. Usually when we travel, we are moving from venue to venue without much time to stop and “play,” so the key to keeping everyone in good spirits falls on the mom–if the littles ain’t happy on the road–nobody’s happy!

My favorite small-space organizer: a shoe keeper! This hung on the wall of the RV near the back.

Where do you put your stuff?

Another great question! We are organizational nuts.  Our two older daughters and I take a three-fold approach to organizing for  road trip , but it works for living in a small space, even if you’re not in an RV or a van!

1. Pack simply.  No more than five days worth of clothes per person. Each child has a clear plastic bin in which to keep their belongings. They must leave room to “collect” things on the road–souvenirs, etc., all need to fit into their space.  We bring our own pillows so that we can sleep better at night.It’s very important to allow the kids to bring something they can’t live without.  Each of our children is different and has a different idea of what that is.  We encourage them to keep it simple.
2. Everything has a place.  EVERYTHING. Every.Thing.  From chargers to post cards, insurance information to sunglasses. Everything has a place.  Each time we stop, we do a little tidy-up to make sure things are put back where they go.  This is crucial or things get lost and/or broken.This was my favorite item from our last road trip: a simple shoe holder that I found at WalMart. It’s made of canvas so we just let the kids design their own little pockets and made pockets for all those “little” things that get lost or misplaced so easily. We hung it near the top of the ceiling so that the little ones could not reach medicines or other things we didn’t want them to touch.  Worked like a charm.  In fact, when we got back home, we hung it up again. If you need to pare down at home, make a list of what you can’t live without, and then put those things aside.  It’s amazing what we can live without, what we don’t need.
3. Entertainment and Exercise for Everyone. When you are driving for 12-15 hours at a time, there has to be something to keep the mind and body from atrophying. For us, it’s iPad games, movies, card games, school work (15 minutes at a time), naps and good conversation. And yummy snacks. That too. This year, we will be stopping frequently to let the kids run and stretch our muscles. Being in a van will be a different experience so we’re hoping to take advantage of hotel workout rooms and pools. Exercise is so important. Without it, we start to lose energy and our emotions ratchet up toward defcon six.  

What Do You Eat?

I‘ll be honest: On our first trip back in 2009, I took all my cookware and utensils.  And used them twice in three months. It just wasn’t practical. So in order to eat something besides fast food (yuck) we started looking for healthy meals that we could prepare quickly:

Sandwiches, Costco chicken, bagged salad, prepared main dishes from grocery stores etc.

I do cook occasionally but in all honesty, it’s not easy with a large group. Especially if it decides to rain and the kids can’t go outside while I cook.  On our first road trip, I gained 15 pounds.  The last one, we did just fine because we were much more intentional about our meals: healthier snacks, more water, less soda.  (duh.)

The kids take turns adding states to the map as we go.

How do the kids do?

Honestly, sometimes great, sometimes, not so great . Wait. That’s just like home.

Getting sleep is very important though.  Sometimes hard when you’ve spent the night next to a noisy semi-truck or in 110 degree heat and the AC quits working.  That’s not very much fun.

Early morning in the RV 2011

Where Do You Stay?

Wal Mart or KOA when we have the RV. WalMarts are great because they’re free.  Just pull over and get everyone into bed.  Bonus: You can stock up on needed supplies while you’re there.

This year we’ll be hoteling it.  I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m not sure yet since we’ve never done it this way.  You might have to haul me home in a paddy wagon. I’m hoping not though. Right now a friend is researching hotels that are large-family friendly.

Sometimes, if we have a few days inbetween conventions, we stay at campgrounds to unwind.

Near Colorado Springs

Overall, is it worth it?

Yes. In spite of all the breakdowns (the RV and the family), fire, long nights and weary days, we would not change it for the world. Our adventures have drawn us closer as a family. Living in a small space has made us realize we can live without most of the “stuff” we think we need. Seeing different parts of the United States has given our children a love for other places and a desire to meet new people.

“Remember when…” has become a regular part of discussion around the dinner table. Now that our oldest is grown and married, we appreciate this short season even more.

So if you’re thinking of RV’ing it, I vote YES.

We love to talk about traveling with the family. If you’ve got any questions, leave a comment here. My hunch is that if you’ve got a question, others have it too.

We’re in New Mexico to speak for CAPE right now … we leave on our big road trip with the kids when we get back on Sunday.

We sure would appreciate your prayers–they make all the difference!

gos·sip

Proverbs 16:28 “A useless person causes trouble and a gossip ruins friendships.”

Ouch.

Guilty as charged. I am sorry to say that I have done this. I’ve also been on the receiving end of gossip. And guess what?

The Bible is right. It does ruin friendships.

As I get older, see more clearly I have seen the damage that gossip inflicts. Sometimes, is out and out gossip–but most of the time, it starts off innocently enough, and slides the slippery slope into gossip.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

Gossip is not only damaging to ourselves and others, it also invites drama into our lives. A few years ago, I made a commitment to rooting “drama” out of my life as much as I could.

This means being careful about what I say

• On Facebook – including “vague-booking”  JUST SAY NO TO VAGUE-BOOKING
  
• To my family
• In front of my children (conversations that they may misread included)
• About others -

It’s not easy! I find that I am constantly asking the Lord to guard my lips.

If you’re struggling with the words you say, try asking the Lord to help you develop a mental checklist to help you discern right from wrong.  Here’s something I’ve been using to determine whether or not my words are helping or hurting those around me:

Are my words

1. Loving?
2. Assuming the best rather than the worst?
3. True?
4. Motivated by jealousy or envy?
5. Benefitting the person who is listening to them?

Everyone has said something they know is hurtful. I wonder what our friendships would look like if we truly preferred one another.

Let’s temper our speech with love today.

Let’s leave the gossip to cheap magazines (and then–let’s not buy them.)

Let’s encourage each other, busy mom! We need all the encouragement we can get.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
I Thessalonians 5:11

Heartsick, I stopped school. We sat in silence, watching. Waiting.

Like you, I’ve learned it can be real now.

I remember well September 11, 2001.  I was in bed with my infant son when the news broke. We turned on the TV, just in time to see the second plane hit the World Trade Center.  At first, we could not believe what was happening in front of us–and then, the reality began to sink in.

It.Was.Real.

There really is evil in this world.

So much heartache. So much grief. So much pain.

How do we even begin to comprehend this kind of suffering?

We don’t. That’s all.

Grief is it’s own master. It comes and goes at will. Like many of you, I’ve learned that grief washes over a sorrowing person like waves on the seashore…

Remember when daddy used to swing with us?
Remember those stories mama read?
Remember how very tiny she was?  So. Tiny. I loved her.

For me, 9/11 was a time of innocence lost. A reminder that we truly never know what tomorrow will bring.

In this world, we need an anchor. An anchor for the soul. I loved this from Max Lucado:

On 9/11 we turned to the sturdiest anchor of all: God. Only He promises to secure our most precious commodity—our souls. When God breathed into Adam, he gave him more than oxygen; he gave him an eternal essence. He gave you the same. Because of your soul, you wrestle with right and wrong, value the lives of others and get choked up at the singing of our national anthem. The soul is that part of you dares to believe that good comes out of evil, Right still sits on the throne and the next life will make sense of this one.

The older I get, the more I realize just how little is within my control.

Last night, I was talking with a friend about the pain of a miscarriage my husband and I suffered many years ago. Sometimes, we just don’t understand. Sometimes, life just hurts. Sometimes, the “whys” of this life can be overwhelming.

But even when life hurts, we can trust . The Bible teaches us that we can run to God when life hurts.  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

God never promised us a world without suffering. But He did promise that in the midst of sorrow, when life hurts, He would be there.

When life hurts, we can run to Him.

In the midnight hours, when the questions arise that are beyond comprehension, we can read His words:

He promised never to leave us (Matthew 28:20). He said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). He is “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). We’re assured that “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12).

You can run to Him too, busy mom. He hears. He’s present.

Even when life hurts.